Connector



SeptI19, 1931 E. s. CORNELL. JR

CONNECTOR Filed Aug. 29, 1958 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Ofifice 3,001,174 Patented Sept. 19, 1961 3,001,174 CONNECTOR Edward 5. Cornell, .lr., Westport, Conn, assignor to Penn- Union Electric Corporation, Erie, Pa., in corporation of Pennsylvania 7 Filed Aug. 29, 1958, Ser. No. 758,015 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-263) The present invention relates to a novel connector, and more particularly to a novel device for mechanically and electrically connecting a plurality of wires.

Numerous connectors have heretofore been suggested for connecting tap wires and the like to another wire or cable. While heretofore proposed connectors have been generally satisfactory for many installations, they frequently have included an undue amount of stock material so that they have been relatively heavy and expensive. Furthermore certain heretofore proposed connectors have been constructed so that it is relatively difiicult to apply several tap wires or the like thereto and so that the effectiveness of the connection with a main wire or cable may vary with the size or diameter of the cable.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a novel connector for securing a plurality of wires or cables together, which connector is of relatively simple light weight and economical construction.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a novel connector of the above described type which is constructed so that it is adapted to accommodate several tap wires or the like, said connector further being constructed so that a Workman need not substantially alter his position when applying the various tap wires to the connector whereby such application is greatly facilitated.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a novel connector having opposing parts adapted to be clamped against a wire or cable for securing the connector to the cable, this connector being constructed so that the parts may be shifted toward and away from each other without twisting or tilting with respect to each other so that they may clampingly engage a wire or cable with full effectiveness for insuring proper connection with the Wire or cable regardless of the diameter of the cable within, of course, the operative limits of the device.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector incorporating features of the present invention applied to a main wire or cable and also assembled with a plurality of tap wires or cables;

FIG. 2 is a sectional View taken generally along line 2--2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing one of the principal members of the connectors;

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken generally along line 4-4- in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a connector incorporating a modified form of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken generally along line 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the device shown in H68. 5 and 6; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional View taken along line 88 in FIG. 4.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals throughout the various figures, a connector 10 incorporating features of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 8 and. comprises a pair of body members 12 and 14 which are formed from copper, aluminum, brass or any other suitable material. The connector is constructed in the manner described in detail below so that it is adapted to be applied to an intermediate portion of a wire or cable conductor 16 and so that it is also adapted to accommodate a plurality of tap wires or the like 18, 20, 22 and 24.

The body members 12 and 14 are provided with elongated opposed marginal portions 26 and 28 presenting substantially complementary seat 30 and :32. These elongated uninterrupted seats are transversely contoured or curved in the manner shown so that they are adapted to accommodate and extend substantially around the conductor 16 when the conductor is clamped between the seats. This is particularly advantageous when the device is to be applied to a conductor formed from aluminum or other material which is subject to considerable cold flow under pressures applied thereto when the conductor is clamped between the seats 30 and 32.

In order to draw the body members 12 and 14 toward each other and thus clamp the conductor 16 therebetween, a screw member 34 is provided, which screw member has a threaded shank 36 extending through a slightly oversized aperture 38 and the body member 14 and turned into a tapped aperture 40 provided in the body member 12. Since the screw member 34 is located laterally of the wire accommodating seats 30 and 32, there is a tendency for the body members to pivot about the fulcrum provided by the conductor 16 when the screw member is turned for drawing the body members together. Such a tendency is resisted by the structure of the present invention so that the seats 30 and 32 are maintained in substantially parallel directly opposing relationship. Thus the clamping pressure exerted by one of the seats 30 is directly opposed by the other seat for obtaining the most effectiveclamping action. In this embodiment of the present invention, the tendency for the body members to tilt relative to each other is overcome by providing the body members 12 and 14 respectively with oppositely extending cylindrical projections 42 and 44. The projection 42 is snugly received in and slidably extends through a complementary opening 46 provided in the body member 14 and the projection 44 extends through a similar opening 48 provided in the body member 12. The cylindrical surfaces of the projections and the complementary cylindrical surfaces of the openings 46 and 48 provide guide means for insuring straight line relative movement of the body members as the body members are drawn together.

As indicated above, the connector is adapted to accommodate several tap wires and the like. Thus the body member 12 is provided with a lateral opening 50 having an arcuate or generally V-shaped seat 52 for accommodating the tap wire 18 and the body member 14 has a similar opening 54 generally V-shaped or arcuate seat 56 for accommodating the tap wire 22. It is also important to note that the cylindrical projections or guide elements 42 and 44 respectively present lateral openings 53 and 60 into which the tap wires 24 and 20 may be inserted. The contour of these openings is also such as to provide arcuate or rounded wire accommodating seats.

In order to secure the tap wires within the various lateral openings, clamping units 62, 64, 66 and 68 are respectively associated with the openings 50, 54, 58, and 60. All of these clamping units are identical so that only the clamping or securing means 68 which is shown best in FIGS. 4 and 8 need be described in detail. This unit includes a screw member 70 threaded into a suitable tapped aperture 72 provided in the projection or guide element 44 and intersecting the opening 60. An elongated pressure pad 74 having a contoured wire accommodating seat 76 is disposed in the opening 60 and is adapted to be actuated by the screw 70. More specifically, the screw 70 has a reduced diameter portion 78 which freely extends through an aperture in the pad 74 and has a peened over end 80 for interconnecting the pad and the screw. It is to be noted that the screws of all the clamping or securing units 62 through 68 face in the same direction so that a workman has easy access to all of the screws without materially changing his position whereby to facilitate the application of the various tap wires or the like to the connector.

It is to be noticed that the projections 42 and 44 are offset from each other in a direction extending transversely of the wire 16 as shown best in FIG. 2. This arrangement not only promotes the provision of a more compact and rugged connector but also locates the screw of the clamping or securing means 66 so that a workman may have access thereto without undue interference from the wire in the event the wire 20 projects entirely through the aperture 60 or is inserted into this aperture from the right hand side of the connector as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this connection it will be appreciated that the tap wires 20 and 24 may be applied to the connector from either side thereof since the apertures 58 and 60 extend entirely through the connector.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 show a modified form of the present invention which is similar to the above described structure as indicated by the application of identical reference numerals with the suffix a added to corresponding elements. In this embodiment the projection 42a and its complementary guide opening 46a generally are centrally disposed on the body members 12a and 14a respectively and the above mentioned projection 44 and its complementary guide opening have been omitted so as to simplify the structure. However it is to be noted that the body member 12a is provided with an additional tubular projection 82 axially aligned with and extending oppositely from the projection 42a and providing a tap wire accommodating seat in place of the above mentioned projection 44. In this embodiment a pair of the clamping screws 34a is provided, which screws are respectively located at opposite sides of the projection or guide element 420 for not only clamping the body members together but also for preventing the body members from rotating relative to each other about the axis of the projection 42a.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it is obvious that many structural details may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A connector adapted to be applied to a plurality of work elements such as wires comprising first and second adjacently disposed body members, means providing opposed work element accommodating seats on said body members, means for drawing said body members together for clamping a work element between said seats, guide means extending between said body members and including an element projecting laterally from one of said body members and opening means in the other of said body members slidably receiving said projecting element, means providing an opening extending entirely through said one body member and said element and aligned with said first mentioned opening means and offset from said seats for accommodating a wire which may selectively be inserted into the last named opening from opposite sides of the connector, and scouring means mounted on said one body member and associated with said last named opening for clamping a wire within said last named opening.

2. A connector adapted to be applied to a work element such as a wire comprising first and second adjacently disposed body members, means providing substantially directly opposed work element accommodating seats on said body members, means for drawing said body members together for clamping a work element between said seats, and guide means on said body members for maintaining said seats in substantially directly opposing relationship when the body members are drawn together, said guide means including a first element projecting laterally from one of said members toward the other of said members and first opening means in said other of said body members providing guide surface means cooperatively engaging said first element, a second element projecting from said other of said body members toward said one body member, and additional opening means in said one body member providing additional guide surface eans cooperably engaging said last mentioned element, at least one of said elements including an outer end portion projecting beyond the opening through which it extends, said outer end portion including wire accommodating aperture means, and securing means associated with said outer end portion for securing a wire within said aperture means.

3. A connector adapted to be applied to a Work element such as a wire comprising first and second adjacently disposed body members, means providing substantially directly opposed work element accommodating seats on said body members, means for drawing said body members together for clamping a work element between said seats, guide means on said body members for maintaining said seats substantially in directly opposing relationship when the body members are drawn together, said guide means comprising an element in addition to said drawing means projecting laterally from one of said members toward the other of said members and opening means in the other of said members providing guide surface means cooperatively engaging said projecting element, said projecting element extending entirely through said opening means and beyond said other of said members, said projecting element including aperture means for accommodating a wire, securing means associated with said element for securing a wire in said aperture means, a second laterally projecting element on said one body member and extending oppositely from said first mentioned element and having wire accommodating aperture means therein, communicating with said first mentioned aperture means, and additional securing means associated with said last mentioned laterally projecting element for securing a wire in said last mentioned aperture means.

4. A connector adapted to be applied to a plurality of work elements such as wires comprising first and second adjacently disposed body members, means providing opposed work element accommodating seats along a first pair of adjacent margins of said body members, means for drawing said body members together for clamping a work element between said seats, work element accommodating opening means in each of said body members adjacent other margins thereof, oppositely extending laterally projecting elements respectively integral with first and second body members and extending transversely of said body members through apertures in said body members and having exposed outer end portions with wire accommodating openings therein, and separate securing means associated with each of said opening means for securing wires therein, all of said securing means having manually operable means facing substantially in the same direction for facilitating access thereto and manipulation thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 849,939 Tichenor et al Apr. 9, 1907 923,558 Mockbee June 1, 1909' 1,403,997 Aeschbach Jan. 17, 1922 2,021,399 Becker et al. Nov. 19', 1935 2,191,258 Matthysse Feb. 20, 1940 2,272,630 Becker Feb. 10, 1942 2,631,346 Wengen et a1 Mar. 17, 1953 

